10 Things Your Tires Can Tell You About Your Car

Your tires are your car's only connection to the road. They're overlooked as safety items, but sometimes they're the first place where a problem will appear. We show you how to read your tires and know what the warning signs mean.

10 Things Your Tires Can Tell You About Your Car

10 Things Your Tires Can Tell You About Your Car

Your tires are often the first indication that something is wrong with your car. The trick is reading the signals.

Let's start with the basics: Obviously you can't read the signals if you rarely inspect your tires. So first, check the tire pressure at least once a month. Tires lose 1 psi each month under normal operating conditions; buy an air compressor and get used to the idea of airing them up. A compressor will pay for itself; fuel economy drops when tire pressure drops, and many gas stations now charge for air. Don't just look at the tire, feel it. Run your fingers along the tread, as many irregularities are more easily felt than seen.

Do your due diligence and you may detect a problem before the tire is ruined. And remember, your tires are your only connection to the road, and they're one of the most overlooked safety items.

What are your worn tires trying to tell you? Let's look at some weirdly worn rubber to find out.

Center Wear

Center Wear

It Looks Like: Your tire is worn down only in the middle.

The Diagnosis: This tire was overinflated, causing the center ring only to contact the road. Consequently, whoever drove this car had only a fraction of the rubber contacting the asphalt, so his or her traction suffered.

To find the correct tire pressure, check the door placard or the owner's manual. Check the pressure when the tires are cold, before you start driving. Some people claim that you should overinflate tires to reduce rolling resistance and increase fuel economy. But that's a fool's game. You might save some fuel, but you'll pay more in prematurely worn tires.

If your pressure is correct but you still see center wear, this could indicate that the wheel and tires are not properly matched. There is one caveat here: Woody Rogers, product information specialist at Tire Rack, says that some rear-wheel-drive vehicles can produce center wear on certain tires, even if they're properly aired up and maintained. But that's true only for high-powered sports cars.